I’ll render my verdict,” said Donavan, fear clearly expressed in his voice. His long, black hair swayed in the breeze that traveled through the trees around us. We were in the woods surrounding the house that Donavan and his wife, Monique, shared. I knew why Donavan picked this spot. This was the location where I found Daniel Warren’s body, one of the Weres that Dom killed while under Marcellus’s influence. My keen eye sight could see the dried blood on the leaves under our feet and my nose could still smell the Were’s death.
“It wasn’t his fault!” I growled. “You can’t punish him for something he didn’t do.”
“That is my decision to make, not yours. Now step aside, Sarah Vargas, before I beat you aside.”
The threat made my heart race and my eyes shift over to wolfish amber. A growl slipped past my lips as I readied myself for a fight.
Dominick Silva, vampire and (at one time) my teacher, had shown up at Donavan’s house today to accept his punishment for killing three Weres. Like I was trying to explain to Donavan, it wasn’t Dom’s fault for those murders. Marcellus, a vampire necromancer who had power over all dead things, controlled the vampire. The three Weres had been avenged when I cut off Marcellus’s head and a coven of witches bound his power. That didn’t make Dom feel better about his crimes, and the moment Donavan returned home Dom organized this meeting.
While I respected my mentor, I refused to stand by and watch him be punished for something that wasn’t his fault.
Aminka Silvermoon, seer and healer for the DeLocket Clan stood at Donavan’s left. Her gray hair was pulled back in a braid, and I wondered how a woman so young could have such gray hair. Her eggshell white eyes looked at each of us. I had seen her drive a car, so I knew for a fact that the woman could see. I had never met another seer before, so maybe the white eyes were part of that package. Normally Donavan’s right hand man would have been standing beside her on Donavan’s right, but I was busy at the moment. Aminka smiled at me and placed a hand on Donavan’s shoulder.
“She still has Damian’s blood in her,” Aminka cautioned. “You’d loose the Clan if you fought her right now.”
Donavan looked into the seer’s white eyes and slowly nodded. It made me wonder how much she told him, how much she knew.
Ice cold fingers gently squeezed my shoulder, and I turned my head and look at Dom, wincing as the motion stretched the fresh scar tissue across my neck. That’s what I got for fighting with vampires. Dom’s shaved head reflected the crescent moon’s light as his black eyes cautioned me. He still wore the silver caps over his fangs and the multiple piercings in his ears. I would have tried to look my best for a moment such as this, but Dom had decided that looking like himself was the way to go. He wore black jeans tucked into a pair of strappy leather boots and a dark gray dress shirt. He wore silver rings on his pinky fingers, and I watched the moonlight reflect off the ring on the hand holding me. The cold from his fingers seeped into my skin, killing the heat that my rage had produced. My heart slowed and my eyes gradually turned from amber to human blue. As soon as he felt sure I was calm, he released me and stepped forward.
Surprise written all over his face, Donavan looked between me and the vampire.
“You can turn her off?” he asked. What did he think I am, some sort of homicidal robot?
“In a way,” Dom answered. “I spent years training her and discovered all of her little quirks. Given some time, I’m sure you will learn them too.”
“If she lets me.”
I sighed. “Hello, standing right here.”
“That you are,” said Dom and Donavan in unison.
“I believe your story,” said Donavan, reverting back into his Clan alpha role. “Marcellus has already been taken care of, and I see no reason to punish you. However, my Clan will demand retribution.”
“I
“It wasn’t his fault!” I growled. “You can’t punish him for something he didn’t do.”
“That is my decision to make, not yours. Now step aside, Sarah Vargas, before I beat you aside.”
The threat made my heart race and my eyes shift over to wolfish amber. A growl slipped past my lips as I readied myself for a fight.
Dominick Silva, vampire and (at one time) my teacher, had shown up at Donavan’s house today to accept his punishment for killing three Weres. Like I was trying to explain to Donavan, it wasn’t Dom’s fault for those murders. Marcellus, a vampire necromancer who had power over all dead things, controlled the vampire. The three Weres had been avenged when I cut off Marcellus’s head and a coven of witches bound his power. That didn’t make Dom feel better about his crimes, and the moment Donavan returned home Dom organized this meeting.
While I respected my mentor, I refused to stand by and watch him be punished for something that wasn’t his fault.
Aminka Silvermoon, seer and healer for the DeLocket Clan stood at Donavan’s left. Her gray hair was pulled back in a braid, and I wondered how a woman so young could have such gray hair. Her eggshell white eyes looked at each of us. I had seen her drive a car, so I knew for a fact that the woman could see. I had never met another seer before, so maybe the white eyes were part of that package. Normally Donavan’s right hand man would have been standing beside her on Donavan’s right, but I was busy at the moment. Aminka smiled at me and placed a hand on Donavan’s shoulder.
“She still has Damian’s blood in her,” Aminka cautioned. “You’d loose the Clan if you fought her right now.”
Donavan looked into the seer’s white eyes and slowly nodded. It made me wonder how much she told him, how much she knew.
Ice cold fingers gently squeezed my shoulder, and I turned my head and look at Dom, wincing as the motion stretched the fresh scar tissue across my neck. That’s what I got for fighting with vampires. Dom’s shaved head reflected the crescent moon’s light as his black eyes cautioned me. He still wore the silver caps over his fangs and the multiple piercings in his ears. I would have tried to look my best for a moment such as this, but Dom had decided that looking like himself was the way to go. He wore black jeans tucked into a pair of strappy leather boots and a dark gray dress shirt. He wore silver rings on his pinky fingers, and I watched the moonlight reflect off the ring on the hand holding me. The cold from his fingers seeped into my skin, killing the heat that my rage had produced. My heart slowed and my eyes gradually turned from amber to human blue. As soon as he felt sure I was calm, he released me and stepped forward.
Surprise written all over his face, Donavan looked between me and the vampire.
“You can turn her off?” he asked. What did he think I am, some sort of homicidal robot?
“In a way,” Dom answered. “I spent years training her and discovered all of her little quirks. Given some time, I’m sure you will learn them too.”
“If she lets me.”
I sighed. “Hello, standing right here.”
“That you are,” said Dom and Donavan in unison.
“I believe your story,” said Donavan, reverting back into his Clan alpha role. “Marcellus has already been taken care of, and I see no reason to punish you. However, my Clan will demand retribution.”
“I
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